A battery exchange system for industrial trucks has become known from DE 103 33 594, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, in which the vehicle chassis comprises a side opening for receiving a battery. The battery is generally located in a so-called battery container. A profile strip is attached to the battery container, and which comprises an undercut on the underside. Spacers are attached to the lifting carriage of a forklift, on which generally fork aims are suspended, which engage under the profile strip. It is, therefore, possible to receive and to transport a battery by means of the lifting carriage. So that this process may be carried out, firstly the fork arms have to be removed from the load carriage and then the spacers positioned. Subsequently, the forklift is driven towards the other vehicle so that by means of the spacers the battery may be received. This requires, however, that the profile strip is never located more deeply than the level of the spacer.
Generally, a battery space accessible from the side in counterbalance forklift trucks brings advantages relative to the aforementioned solutions. When removing the battery, no components inside the operating space have to be awkwardly folded away or removed. The battery does not have to be moved in the region of the operating space, which prevents damage of delicate components in this region. Unnecessary lifting of the battery which poses a risk to the immediate vicinity of personnel is not required. However, the use of a forklift with removable fork arms is necessary. By the complete separation of the battery compartment and operating space a good seal of the passenger compartment is possible relative to sound, rain and battery gases. The disclosed known solution may not be applied to all variants of battery maintenance and battery removal and exchange associated with side battery removal.
The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a battery exchange system for battery-driven industrial trucks, which makes it possible for the total height of the forklift to be as low as possible in spite of the side installation of the battery and the use of different variants of battery removal without alterations to the vehicle being required.